Blokes
by christywitha CH
Summary: When Dean Thomas and Hans Barnes cannot find dates to the Yule Ball, they find they must take matters into their own hands.


For Fire the Canon's 2012 Hogwarts Games. Event: Artistic Gymnastics - Write an OC

I said please. _Please_. The word that signifies inferiority; no, simply desperation and plead.

"Will you go to the Yule ball with me? Please?" I asked a Beauxbatons girl. She looked stunning. She was wearing a blue shirt with khaki pants. I wanted to start a conversation before I asked her the way I did. I wanted to be with her, with the beautiful one.

"I've already got a date, I'm sorry." The way she said "sorry" sent shivers down my spine and raised the hairs on my arms. My knees felt week, and my eyes began darting around my surroundings. I wanted to say something back, to show her how much I wanted to be with her, but I couldn't. I just couldn't say anything back. There was no more oxygen left in my lungs; no more breath left to breathe.

I could feel my face turning crimson, and I knew I needed to say something back now. I'd been standing like a vegetable for a matter of seconds, which doesn't seem like long until you're in the situation yourself.

"Oh. Who?" I asked, trying my hardest to not squeak as I spoke.

"Edmund Clover." I tightened the muscles in my jaw to keep from gaping. Apart from Krum, Edmund Clover had been someone I'd envied for ages.

He made the spot of chaser on the Durmstrang quidditch team this year. I wanted that spot.

"Okay." I sheepishly walked away, replacing my dignity for shame.

I've established the sore fact that I am not one of the four people chosen for the Triwizard Tournament, which was bad enough, but this unfortunate event has just turned bad into worse.

I've figured my way around Hogwarts for the most part, though these staircases are quite a hassle to learn. I walked to the rooms Hogwarts have assigned us, careful not to take a wrong turn.

"When are you going to ask her then?" I heard a voice from behind me. I slowed and turned around, licking my lips.

"I already did." I continued to walk.

"What are you talking about Barnes?"

"She's taken."

"By who?"

"Clover." I opened the door to the rooms, holding it open for Vincent, a friend, behind me.

"Oh. He's got everything hasn't he?"

I scoffed and nodded.

"You know, that Matilda from Beauxbatons is still free..."

I walked to my bag and pulled out a bit of nicer attire.

"I know. I was thinking about asking her," I said. She wasn't the most beautiful of the Beauxbatons girls, but I'd stick with anyone at this point.

"Then muster the balls to do it. She'll be taken by the end of tonight," Vincent said. Butterflies flew through my stomach with every word he muttered.

"Have you seen her?"

"I saw her in the library. But she was walking with a pack of her Beauxbatons friends."

"Have you got a date, then?" I asked, trying to divert my mind from the task I'd have to soon perform.

"Yes, I do," he said, a smirk on his face. "Celeste Minire."

I gaped. "You asked _Minire?_" She was one of the most beautiful Beauxbatons girls.

"Yes. She accepted."

"Well it isn't surprising, seeing that you have the looks any other bloke out there would want..."

"That isn't what got me the date. It's the fact that I actually _asked _her."

"Fine, Vincent," I said, changing my clothes. I washed my face and put on a bit of cologne. I looked at myself in the mirror, making sure I looked absolutely as stunning as I could. I combed my short brown hair back, and inhaled deeply. "How do I look?" I asked him.

"Fantastic. Just put on your hat."

"Why would I put on my hat? I combed my _hair_!"

"It's in the negatives out there! Anyways, you don't want to be mistaken for a Hogwarts boy do you?"

He was right. The Durmstrang boys were given a uniform burgundy fur hat which would classify us as ourselves for years to come. I placed the hat over my neatly combed hair, and put on my boots. It was nearly a blizzard out there. I cleared my throat before stepping outside the door.

I walked in strides. I wanted to get this finished as quickly as possible. As I stepped out into the crisp air, my boots began to sink into the white snow. I sighed and continued to plunge my boots in and out of the deep abyss of snow. I was nearing the library, and the butterflies in my stomach were flying faster and faster. I wanted nothing more than to bail out of all this. Who cared about a stupid _date?_

I opened the door and stepped inside. I took off my dripping hat, and paced toward the group of girls in blue. My heart began beating faster and faster. I scanned the group with my eyes, trying to decipher which of them was Matilda. I spotted her. Her hair was in curly locks, which flowed from her head to her mid back. Her eyes were blue like the ocean, though I think the ocean was a bit more willing to be with me.

"Hello, Matilda," I said, trying my hardest not to dart my eyes. I couldn't be seen as nervous.

"Yes?" She asked. The entire group of Beauxbatons girls was staring at me, at what I was going to do. The girl I'd asked earlier today was standing there as well. She muttered something in French, which made all the rest of them giggle.

"Would you like to go to the ball with me?" I was careful not to say please, just so I wouldn't wreck this attempt the way I did the last one.

"I've got a date already," she said, her eyes staring me down. I felt insecure as ever. I wanted to disappear. I didn't think that this would ever happen. I didn't think there was a worst-case-scenario like this.

"Okay."

I backed away, already sure that my face was burning crimson. I was careful not to trip over my large feet, so that I wouldn't make even more of a fool out of myself.

"Hey." I looked behind me, toward the voice that was calling for me. There was a boy sitting at a table. He looked about my age. I sat across the table from him. He had darker skin and brown eyes. I assumed he was from Hogwarts.

"I was denied by one of them as well, don't get too upset over it."

"What's your name?" I asked.

"Thomas. Dean Thomas." He held out his hand to shake mine.

"Hans Barnes." I shook his hand. "Pureblood?"

"No," he said. "My mom is a muggle, and I'm not sure about my father."

"What?"

"My dad's dead. I have no proof of whether or not he's a wizard."

"So you're either a muggle born or a half-blood?" I asked.

"Yeah," he said. I wasn't really used to meeting anyone other than a pureblood. We shared a few moments of awkward silence.

"What year are you?" I asked.

"Fourth," he said. I nodded. I was only a year older. He seemed like a nice bloke.

"Nice to meet you," I said, putting my hat back on.

"You said she wasn't taken!" I nearly screamed.

"She _wasn't."_

"Well she is now!" I said. "I've made a fool of myself yet again."

"Somebody must have asked her while you were busy looking at yourself in the mirror," Vincent said.

"Oh shut it."

"If Matilda's taken then everyone's taken, you know," he said, chuckling.

"Shut it," I warned again. I got into bed and pulled the sheets over my body.

"Oh, stop whining for Merlin's sake! You look so damn pathetic that if I wasn't going with Minire, I'd ask you just to spare the rest of us some drama."

"Stop being such a faggot," I said. He laughed and shut off the light.

* * *

I walked back to the library again, the place I could count on for having a plethora of girls. I saw that Thomas boy there.

"Hey." I sat beside him.

"What are you doing here?" He asked me.

"I'm looking for what might be a single girl, of course."

"Yeah? That's what I've been doing for the past few days."

We sat in silence for a few minutes, watching people come and go.

"How about that one?" I asked. There was a Hogwarts girl with light brown hair who walked in. She looked a bit eccentric, but she was pretty, none the less.

"She's going with a good friend of mine," Thomas said. I nodded. "Her name's Lavender Brown."

We kept watching people pass, laughing at a few clumsy first years from time to time.

"What about that girl?" I asked. She had blonde curly hair.

"Don't even go there. She's insane," Dean told me.

"Is she?" I asked.

"Yes. She's nice and all, but she's still quite weird. Luna Lovegood," he said. "Durmstrang is all pureblood, isn't it?"

"Yeah. They don't accept half or muggle borns," I said.

I thought about what Vincent said yesterday, about taking me if he hadn't already had a date...

"You know, if we don't find dates soon, why don't we just go together to create a scene?" I asked.

"Oh that's brilliant! I can only imagine Snape's face."

"Who's that?"

"A particularly vile professor here. That would just be hilarious."

We sat and watched people for a few more minutes.

"I think I might have to take you up on that offer," Thomas said.

"Oh this will be absolutely fantastic."

* * *

"You're _actually_ going with a bloke?" Vincent asked. I adjusted my bow-tie in the mirror.

"Yes," I smirked. I was wearing a black and white tux.

"That's disgusting," he said.

"_You_ suggested it!"

"I was _kidding!_" he exclaimed. "Karkaroff will have your ass for this, you know."

"It's not a big deal. It's not like he's a different species, being a muggle born."

"Well, that's debatable," Vincent said. I realized who I was talking to, and shut my mouth. Nearly everyone at Durmstrang was prejudice when it came to blood status.

"Ready, Thomas?" I asked. We walked down together, laughing.

"Everybody's going to be so confused," he said.

"I'm definitely looking forward to the looks on their faces."

I saw Vincent down in the lobby in front of the Great Hall. He shook his head at me, but I ignored it.

This was the only Yule Ball I would ever attend, and I was sure going to enjoy it.

We danced, usually with girls instead of each other for the slower songs.

"How about we take one of these slow dances, yeah? Just for the hell of it?" I asked. Dean found it hilarious, and didn't cease to laugh during our dance.

Near to the end of it, Karkaroff and I made eye contact. He was crossing his arms and his head was shaking from left to right. His left foot was tapping with disappointment, but I honestly could've cared less. The song ended, and the night slowly did too. I walked off of the dance floor to go grab myself a drink. I felt a firm hand on my shoulder.

I saw Vincent leaning against the table, laughing at my suffering.

"We'll discuss punishments for embarrassing the school once we get back to Durmstrang," Karkaroff said. I held back a laugh, attempting to not have to turn around and make eye contact with the man.

After he walked away, I poured Dean and I a drink, and found him sitting at a table.

"Get into any trouble yet?" Thomas asked.

I laughed. "It was worth it."


End file.
